German international forward Lukas Podolski has urged the Arsenal supporters to get behind the team and become the 12th man ahead of the visit of Manchester United.

He wrote on Facebook: “We need our 12th man this weekend, let's create a great atmosphere together!”

The Gunners host the Red Devils in Saturday’s late kick-off, and it is a match which has all the hallmarks of a classic given the current situation.

There are a number of notable absentees in the defensive department on both sides as the likes of Laurent Koscielny, Mathieu Debuchy, Marcos Rojo and Danny Blind all find themselves out of action through injury.

As a result, many observers and fans alike can expect plenty of opportunities and goal-scoring chances at the Emirates, and the general consensus suggests an entertaining score-draw could be on the cards.

One man who will be kicking his heels in a bid to get some action for the North London club is current out-of-favour striker Podolski.

The former Bayern Munich man has rarely featured for Arsene Wenger’s men this season, restricted to just four substitute appearances in the Premier League and an accumulation of 46 minutes.

Given his excellent goal-scoring rate for both club and country, his absence many be surprising, but the summer signings of Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez have certainly hindered his chances of playing.

While a January transfer maybe on the cards, admirably his situation hasn’t affected his passion and affection for the Gunners as he calls upon the Emirates faithful to help the team to victory over United.

Tom Thorogood

I'm a 27 year old language teacher and writer based out in Mexico with a passion for football and swimming. I like to focus on the top European Leagues, especially La Liga, as well as the footballing development in Central and South America. My favourite teams include Derby County, Barcelona and Jagaures de Chiapas.